According to a report from NPR, Governor Greg Abbott of Texas is waiting to hear from the Board of Pardons and Paroles.
The Governor is asking for a recommendation by the board to pardon Sgt. Daniel Perry.
Governor Abbot said, I look forward to approving the boards pardon recommendation as soon as it hits my desk.
On Friday, U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry was convicted of fatally shooting Garrett Foster, a 28-year-old protester. Foster was in Austin with a large group of demonstrators, marching through the street and illegally blocking traffic. Perry faces life in prison if his conviction stands during the upcoming sentencing phase.
Perry was working an extra job as a ride-sharing driver when he turned onto the street blocked by the demonstrators, including Foster.
According to Fox News, the car was encircled by demonstrators, who began pounding on the exterior. At some point, Foster raised his firearm, an AK-47, at Perry, who reacted by shooting the handgun he kept with him for protection.
The shooting took place on July 25, 2020. Perrys attorney, Doug OConnell, mounted a self-defense strategy based on the Texas stand-your-ground law. OConnell said, When Garrett Foster pointed his AK-47 at Daniel Perry, Daniel had two-tenths of a second to defend himself. He chose to live. He added, It may be legal in Texas to carry an assault rifle in downtown Austin. It doesnt make it a good idea. If you point a firearm at someone, youre responsible for everything that happens next.
Governor Abbot said he intended to seek a pardon for the Army sergeant. He said, I am working as swiftly as Texas law allows regarding the pardon of Sgt. Perry.
The Governor noted that Texas has one of the strongest stand your ground laws in the country and cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive District Attorney.
Fox News stated, Travis County District Attorney John Garza, the George Soros-backed prosecutor who brought the case, has been widely criticized for pursuing charges against Perry for political clout rather than the merits of the case.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, Self-defense is a God-given right, not a crime. Unfortunately, the Soros-backed DA in Travis County cares more about the radical agenda of dangerous Antifa and BLM mobs than justice.
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